I Will Find You
by OnlyMugsMagoo
Summary: While hunting, Nathaniel and Cora's cabin is attacked and he returns to find her missing. Will he be able to find her? First fanfic, just had this idea rolling around and thought I'd write it down. Reviews are great!
1. Chapter 1

A/N This is my first fanfic, I thought it'd be fun to write this idea down. Feel free to let me know what you think, but be nice please. I am more likely to listen to you. :p

It was getting late. The red sun was descending the sky. He knew Cora would be waiting for him. He was still miles away from their cabin, so he quickened his pace. It wasn't unusual for Nathaniel to be away from the cabin for a good portion of the day; hunting or collecting things they needed from the nearby woods but he always tried to return before nightfall. Today he had gone farther than usual in an attempt to find bigger game, but hadn't come across any fresh tracks. He had been able to bag some geese and rabbits, though so he didn't feel today's excursion to be a total loss.

He was getting tired and was anxious to be home. He knew Cora would notice his fatigue and fuss over him as soon as he walked in the door. She always did, even though she was likely to be just as tired. She was always working around their small home, doing one thing or another, seeming to hardly draw breath. She became somewhat indignant if he suggested she should slow down though, so he rarely did. He was usually able to persuade her to rest in the evenings after the dinner things were cleared away. Then they would pass the time talking, or reading from their small collection of books in front of the fire. He smiled as he thought of the woman waiting for him.

Nathaniel was proud of his lady. She had taken to life on the frontier with an easy grace he hadn't expected. He imagined living off the land was especially onerous after experiencing high society in Europe. He probably shouldn't have been surprised though, that since settling here, Cora's sense of determination had increased, if possible. She had adapted with the smallest amount of help from him.

He was drawn out of his reverie when abruptly; a slight smell hit his nostrils. He couldn't place it at first, it was too faint. He slowed to a jog, and glanced at his surroundings. When he caught sight of the thick smoke, curling and twisting towards the sky he came to an immediate stop. His stomach lurched as he realized the dark billows were coming from the direction of their cabin. Thoughts of John Cameron's cabin raced through his mind.

"Cora", he mumbled frantically, and he was sprinting again. His recent catch lay abandoned on the forest floor behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N : Hope you guys like this chapter! Thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming. :)

She had busied herself with getting supper ready and on the table. Nathaniel should be home soon, and was sure to be hungry. As she kneaded some dough for bread, she glanced fondly around their tiny cabin. After deciding to stay with Nathaniel, Cora Munro wasn't sure how well she would adapt to life on the frontier. She had known it would be difficult, but since losing her Father and dear sister here, it wasn't as though she had anything to return to England for. If she were being honest with herself, she doubted she would have returned anyway. Difficulties aside, she had learned much with Nathaniel's guidance and care, and she was happy here. Happy she had stayed with him.

Thoughts of the man broke her reverie and she noted again that he hadn't returned, and it was getting quite late. "Not uncommon", she reminded herself but she was still slightly disconcerted. An abrupt noise outside relieved the disquiet atmosphere. Nathaniel must be just outside, cleaning a recent kill, she guessed. She took a couple of steps to the left to peer out their one small window and confirm her musings. The sight that met her made her blood run cold.

She ducked quickly, praying none of them had seen her. The twenty or so natives were armed and several carried torches. They walked with hunched backs, stealthily but slowly approaching the cabin, like cats stalking prey. She didn't know what tribe they belonged to, Nathaniel would have been able to tell her. Where was he? A horrible idea made her heart stutter. What if they had come across Nathaniel while he was hunting? What if…? She couldn't finish the thought.

She knew they must not find her, especially as she was all alone. She had little with which she could defend herself. It was then she recalled the loaded pistol Nathaniel had given her. She didn't usually expend a lot of thought on the weapon; she had always felt safe here. Nathaniel would never let her forget it completely, however. "Best to be prepared" he'd say as a reminder whenever he left, gesturing slightly at the chest in the corner where the gun was kept.

She dashed across the room to retrieve the pistol from its hiding place. She was glad to have it, at least it was something; but she knew it would be of little use against the approaching braves. Her only hope now was to hide.

Her first instinct was to throw open the back door and race for the woods behind the house, but she doubted she could make it without being seen. As she took a step back, panic setting in, she heard the brusque groan from the wood under her feet. She swayed from one foot to the other, noting how the floorboard shifted with her weight.

Hurriedly, she grabbed a knife and began prying at the loose floorboards. She didn't know how close the warriors were, she was too afraid to look. Adrenaline must have given her extra speed because more quickly than she could have hoped she had lifted two floorboards. There was now enough room to slide between the planks to the dirt beneath. She had just replaced the boards from below when she heard the final approach of the natives. She prayed they wouldn't look too closely at the floor and tried to slow her breathing.

She placed a hand over her mouth and was glad she did. In the next second, the front door was kicked open so violently it hit the wall next to it and caused the window to rattle loudly. Cora was just able to stop the gasp trying to escape her throat.

She saw several pairs of feet enter the cabin and walk around. They began rummaging around and vandalizing the interior of the cabin, overturning furniture and throwing things around. Maybe they're just thieves looking for valuables, she thought to herself. Somehow she knew that wasn't true.

She grimaced and stopped breathing when one of them stepped right above her hiding place and the floor gave an audible creak. Everything got quiet for a moment, so she nearly shrieked when something crashed against the floor just a couple feet away. The table, she guessed.

After what seemed an age, a low voice barked out harsh-sounding words and the men retreated. She let out a shallow breath when the last of them had filed out, still too scared to move. She wouldn't abandon her spot until she was certain they were gone. She ran a shaky hand over her face.

Suddenly, the glass in the window crashed and she heard a soft thud hit the wood somewhere above her. After several seconds, she could see the muted flames and realized it was a torch. She heard several more thuds and stared up in terror. How could she get out now? They were still nearby, she was sure, but she couldn't stay where she was any longer. After a moment of indecision, she hit the wood overhead, throwing the planks out of the way. She peered around, looking for any sign of lingering braves, but didn't see any. Scrambling out from the ground, she quickly surveyed the damage; the cabin was all but destroyed. There was no way for her to stop the growing flames now. Tears filled her eyes, whether it was from the smoke or not, she couldn't say.

Flames were blocking the front entrance, and she couldn't be certain the men were gone anyway, so she whirled for the back door and threw it open. She had decided she would hide in the surrounding woods to see if Nathaniel returned. If not, she would make the week-long journey to the Delaware camp where Chingachgook spent most of his time nowadays. She had made the trek more than once with Nathaniel and was fairly certain she could find it on her own.

She had only made it a few yards from the back door when a loud whoop made her jump. Spinning, she saw a lone warrior running towards her. Wanting to save her gun if possible, she determinedly held the small knife she had used to pry away the floorboards in front of her. The brave smiled slightly before he, with surprising agility, twisted her wrist and forced her to drop it to the ground. Slamming her other hand into the pocket of her skirt, she yanked the gun out and pulled the trigger. The man almost looked shocked as he fell to the ground. Distant yells from the front of the cabin told her the others had heard the shot. She stooped to pick up the knife and began to run wildly for the trees. She was just past the tree line when something caused her to lose her footing. She felt a sharp pain against the side of her face, and then everything was black…


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I had some writer's block near the end. Still not sure that I'm completely happy with it, but I guess it will have to do. As usual, reviews are great. A big thanks to those of you taken the time to leave them. Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter Three

Nathaniel slowed to a stop as he approached the border of the clearing in which their home stood. Concealing himself in a nearby thicket, his eyes scanned the land scape, trying to assess the situation. The cabin was all but gone. The roof had collapsed inwards and the still-smoking walls were charred black. He wasn't surprised; based on the amount of smoke he had seen, he knew the damage would be extensive. The sight still made him vaguely nauseous, especially as there was no sign of Cora. From his current position, he could just make out several sets of foot prints leading up to the door. His heart crashed loudly in his chest. Convinced that whoever had been here didn't linger, Nathaniel emerged from the thicket and quickly approached the remains of the cabin.

"Cora?" he called urgently and waited for a response, hoping she had found a safe place to hide. When he received no reply, he raced into what had once been their home. "Cora!" he shouted this time. Taking in his surroundings, he searched for any sign of her. The interior was unrecognizable, everything burnt to ash.

He noted the floorboards that had been ripped away from the joists and bent down to examine them more carefully. Peering down at the earth below, a meek glinting caught his eye. Jumping down, he retrieved it from the dirt. It was a bracelet made up of Wampum. He immediately recognized the pale, opalescent beads. Nathaniel had given the bracelet to Cora shortly after arriving here. She almost never took it off; in fact, he was sure he had seen it on her wrist that very morning. He took a deep breath, feeling calmer, but only marginally. Cora had hidden, that much was certain, but where was she now? Pocketing the bracelet, he resumed his perusal of the cabin. Almost at once, his eyes stopped on the back door, which was usually shut and bolted, but which now stood ajar. Some would call it superfluous, to have two doors in a cabin as small as theirs, but he had always been taught it was safest to have more than one exit from any place, in case one became unusable. He hoped he had been right in applying the logic when building their home, and charged out the back door.

_The clearing was bright, almost too bright. The light forced her to squint, making it difficult to see. She could make out a broad path ahead that was framed by thick rows of trees on either side; the shade they created beckoned her forward. Dizziness swept over her as she drifted towards the path, making her wobble awkwardly. She didn't know where the path lead, but she didn't care, desperate to leave the glaring sunlight. The place seemed oddly familiar, although she couldn't name it. The feeling made her uneasy, but she kept moving. As she continued onward, the path shifted, becoming misty before it transformed completely. She was now in what she recognized as a Huron village. Her heart began to race as she looked around. She didn't want to be here, she had to leave. Looking behind her for the clearing she was just in, a flash of golden hair jolted her. It belonged to a young woman, a woman she knew all too well._

_"Alice!" She nearly screamed. Her sister looked up and smiled sweetly at her, then turned away for a moment, as if she were calling to someone. Three men joined Alice, but stood slightly apart from her. Two of the men wore red uniforms: one was older with graying hair, the other was younger and had disheveled, blonde hair. The third man was also young. He had sleek, black hair down to his waist. He wore a blue tunic and breeches. She knew all three of them, but didn't understand how they could be here. Alice and the three men smiled serenely but said nothing. Her confusion only increased._

_"Papa?" she called to the older man. "How is this possible? I thought you were all…" she wasn't sure how to finish. She received no reply, only the constant smiles. She turned to the two other men. "Duncan? Uncas, what's happening?"_

_When again, she received no answer, she stepped forward to approach the group. Before she could make any progress, a wall of flames ignited and barred her path. She fell back on the ground, startled. The heat was intense; it was starting to burn even though she was well away from the flames. The smoke was suffocating. She crawled backwards away from the fire, trying to see the group of people still standing on the other side. Their forms were hazy and she could no longer see their faces. After a moment they turned and began to walk away._

_"Wait!" she called. "Don't, I can't follow you! Alice? Papa?" Alice and the men continued forward. "Please…wait" she murmured helplessly. It did no good._

_A movement to her right alarmed her, but she breathed a sigh of relief when Nathaniel's form materialized from the trees, a few feet from the flames. _

_"Nathaniel!" she cried. He turned and gave her the same placid smile as the others. Her breathing halted in her chest. Nathaniel approached the fire and the flames parted to allow him through. He turned towards her again and raised his hand in a gesture of farewell. She rose to her feet and darted forward. Nathaniel had stepped through the wall of fire, the passage closed as soon as he was on the other side._

_"NO!" she screamed. "Don't go! Please, come back!" she began to sob. "Nathaniel…stay…" she whispered, but she was all alone. Despite the rising flames, she was suddenly very cold._

Cora's head ached miserably, and she was shivering. She should probably put more wood on the fire. The dream had been unpleasant, but she couldn't recall why. Even now as she tried to remember it, it slipped elusively from her mind, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had consumed her. Reluctantly, Cora opened her eyes to get out of bed, and was shocked to see the dark trees above her. As memories of the afternoon came back to her, she bolted into a sitting position. The forest spun around her and she swayed uncomfortably, she closed her eyes, willing the dizziness to stop. Tenderly, she reached a hand up to her temple; it throbbed painfully under the pressure of her fingers. When she pulled her hand away, it felt sticky and she was only mildly surprised to see the blood there. She tore off a piece of her skirt and began cleaning the head wound as best she could.

She was alone, she was sure. She glanced around, trying to get her bearings. She was at the bottom of a moderately steep incline, where a large rock jutted out, providing an overhang. She tried to keep herself calm as the day's events played in her mind. She must have lost her footing and slipped down the incline. Slowly, she reached up to touch the rock above her. She realized from the top of the incline, the rock must look as though it touched the ground. That's why they hadn't found her. Too exhausted to be grateful at this piece of luck, she rubbed at her head absently.

Her thoughts drifted towards Nathaniel and her chest clenched painfully as she realized she still had no idea what had become of him. Soberly, she decided that the next morning she would return to the cabin and try to find out what had happened to him. It was too dark to do anything now. She lay down gingerly, and tried to stem the flow of tears that had sprung to her eyes.

Sometime later, the soft crunching of footsteps nearby broke through her fitful sleep. It was still dark out, and Cora couldn't guess at the time or how long she had been asleep. Keeping as quiet as possible, she looked around for the source of the noise, her heart thudding rapidly. She could hardly make out anything from her current position, but she was sure the noise was coming from somewhere behind her.

"Corrra!" The sound of her name made her jump. She knew that voice, would know it anywhere. She hoped she wasn't dreaming again as she quickly emerged from her sleeping place.

"Na-nathaniel?" She said in a low voice towards the dark figure she could now see standing several yards away. "Nathaniel, I'm here."

He turned towards her and in fewer strides than she would have thought possible, he was standing inches away. He gazed at her intensely before wrapping his arms around her in a fierce embrace. She buried her face in his chest as the soft sobs escaped her throat. One of his hands had reached up and was stroking her hair. They stood that way for a few moments before he pulled away and looked at her pressingly.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" He asked as he gently brushed his fingers over the gash on her forehead "I found some blood back there, scared the hell out of me."

"I'm fine" she gave a reluctant smile. "What happened to you? When you weren't there, I thought…"

"I went farther out than normal; I was on my way back when I saw the smoke. Ran as fast as I could but- the place was already deserted. Been lookin' for you since."

"Why did they do this?" Cora asked.

"Wish I knew. They didn't leave much behind, only footprints. Without knowing who it was, can't say why they did it. At this point, a war party makes the most sense, but we're so far out of the way, our nearest neighbor is twenty miles east. How'd they know to come here? It's a pretty unlikely coincidence."

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"Not much we can do, not tonight. It's probably best to get some sleep" he placed his hand on the side of her face and rubbed the space under her eye with his thumb. "You look tired" he stated simply.

"So do you" she replied quietly.

"Let's try to get some sleep. We'll figure things out when the sun is up."

As they settled down to rest, Cora was skeptical sleep would come. But with Nathaniel's solid presence at her side, she took a deep breath and succumbed to the exhaustion of the day.

She awoke when the soft sunlight, drifting through the trees, shone on her face. She sat up groggily, and looked around. Nathaniel was sitting a couple of yards away, propped up by a tree. She stood and marched over to him.

"Didn't you sleep?" She asked.

"Some. Just tryin' to make sense of it all. Did you see anything unusual about the Indians? Anything to tell them apart?"

"No, but I hardly glanced at them before I hid."

Nathaniel nodded slowly, seemingly lost in thought.

"What is it, what are you thinking?" Cora asked.

"I think we should go to my Father."

"He'll know who it was?"

"He'll have theories, which is more than we've got. In any case, it's too late in the year to rebuild now. We'd never finish before the Winter, it's best to camp with the Delaware."

"Are we leaving right away?" Cora wondered.

"I want to take another look at their tracks, see if I can figure anything out. It wouldn't hurt to see if there's anything can be salvaged either."

A short while later, they approached the edge of the woods, Nathaniel was staring beyond at the ruins.

"Wait here" he said bluntly.

"Why? Maybe I can help…" Cora said in confusion.

"Please, just stay here. I won't be long."

She reluctantly agreed. Nathaniel gave her his knife and walked on to the cabin. She watched as he paused now and then, stooping down; most likely looking at footprints. She lost sight of him when he entered the cabin through the back door, and watched intently until he came back out. Her head still throbbed so she closed her eyes and began to massage the sides of her face.

She spent several minutes that way when a rustling caught her attention. When she opened her eyes again she saw Nathaniel running towards her. Something was wrong, it was obvious in the way his face was set.

A whoop caught her attention, and looking back near the ruins, she saw a brave chasing Nathaniel. Several more came into view, running full speed at his back. Dread washed over her as she realized they must be the same men as the day before. Why did they come back? Disbelief halted her movements and she could only stare, unsure of what to do.

Nathaniel suddenly stopped his run, and stared at her. She stood quickly, intending to help but she saw him shake his head slightly. He raised his hand, his palm towards her and it was obvious he wanted her to stay where she was.

Quickly, he whirled and fired his rifle at the nearest warrior. The man was hit squarely in the abdomen and dropped immediately. Then with his tomahawk, he dispatched another two braves before a third, hit Nathaniel smartly across the head with a club. He fell to the ground and Cora covered her mouth to stop from screaming.

She dropped to her knees to conceal herself better, never taking her eyes of the scene before her. The man who had hit Nathaniel closed the distance to his fallen form and Cora was sure he was going to finish the job. To her surprise, the man removed rope from a pouch at his waist and tied it around Nathaniel's wrists and ankles, and then two men picked him up and hoisted him above their shoulders.

As quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, taking Nathaniel with them. Cora was unable to move, a mixture of anger, fear and confusion warring for dominance in her mind. One thing was certain, she had to get Nathaniel back, but she couldn't do it alone. It was time to go to her father-in-law.

A/N: Bet you weren't expecting that, haha. I originally had a different direction planned for this story, I admit. But I was inspired by the scene at Nathaniel's cell at the fort when Cora also says: "I will find you". Cora is such a strong character; I thought it'd be cool to have her do some rescuing, so my original idea change pretty quickly after starting the story. Let me know what you think.


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